The University of Calgary Faculty of Medicine’s Wall of Honour
They had the unveiling ceremony on Wednesday. I couldn’t be there, and neither could be my Mom, but my great friend Bob Haslam was, and he took this picture for us.
I miss him.
Stephen Harper’s “hockey book”
This is the oldest story I could find in which Stephen Harper claims he is writing a book about hockey. It’s dated April 13, 2006:
PM visits Alberta base to reaffirm support for Forces and Afghanistan mission
Canadian Press Newswire
Thu Apr 13 2006
Section: National General News
Byline: BY JOHN COTTER
WAINWRIGHT, Alta. (CP) – Prime Minister Stephen Harper used a graduating ceremony for fresh-faced army recruits Thursday to emphasize his government’s support for the military and its mission in Afghanistan.
In a cavernous drill hall festooned with signs depicting past Canadian battle honours, Harper acted as reviewing officer as the unit of about 50 troops marched past bleachers filled with their family and friends.
Harper compared the service of troops in Kandahar to the sacrifices made by Canadians in the two world wars.
…Later Thursday, Harper took his young son to a NHL Calgary Flames hockey game.
The prime minister was careful not to give a prediction on who will win the Stanley Cup.
“I will get people more upset about my hockey opinions than any of my political opinions, but now that I’m in Calgary, how about this: I give the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators pretty good chances of winning the Stanley Cup.”
Harper, who had seats in the crowd, not in a private box, said he’s been working on a hockey book on professional hockey in the city of Toronto in the early 1900s.
“I’ve had an interest in hockey history since I was a boy and in the last few years I’ve used it as a kind of an escape form the pressures of the job.”
He said he had hoped to have it published by the end of this year but “since January 23rd, I’ve been spending a little less time on it than before, so we’ll see.”
It’s a half-decade later, and the book remains unpublished. I find that odd. I’m not a busy Prime Minister, of course, but I have a pretty busy firm, four busy kids, and lead a busy life. And, since late October, I’ve written 55,000 words for my new book, which Random House is publishing in the Fall. I don’t have 1,500 communications assistants to help me research the book, like Harper does. Oh, and I’ve written three books in the time that Harper’s been “writing” his.
Part of my book is about how Harper has consciously (and cynically) sought out the Tim’s-drinking, Afghanistan-war-supporting, hockey Dad demographic, even though he seems to be faking it.
If anyone else has an earlier reference to Harper’s hockey book, which I am getting closer to calling “bullshit” about, please send it along.
As such, you can consider yourself one of my research assistants. And I will name you and thank you in my book.
Which is coming out.
Vancouver photos
The Vancouver Sun and Province have now turned over to the police never-before-seen shots of the Stanley Cup riot. Click on the photo to see more. It’s shocking stuff, still.
Movie trivia question
Remember that scene in the Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy and Toto arrive rather dramatically, and then something ghastly shows up? Can you describe that scene?
Winner?
You could not do better than this if you planned it: no clear winner in the Republican field, with assorted extremists doing well, and the one moderate doing badly.
And this all happens without you lifting a finger. Not bad.
Bubbles burbles
It’s your daily double of Double Bubble Trouble!
The media frenzy about SFH, and our tune Double Bubble Trouble, continues apace!
The other day, it was the Toronto Star – now, CBC’s As It Happens is apparently going to play the tune on-air tonight. Groupies and untold riches await!
I wrote the tune in less time than it takes to play it (which should tell you all you need to know, as you can discover here), but here’s a pic of the boys on the soon-to-be-released LP’s back cover. It’s called WDYHM (as in Why Do You Hate Me).
Isn’t Davey Snot handsome? And he’s single, too, girls!
Bucket post
I’m back – and, it looks like online protest does work, sometimes. Nice.
Anyway, I’m not saying that Forum Research is a bucket shop. I’m not saying that. I will, however, draw your attention to this and this and, of course, this. Never mind the fact that the pollsters, who use a discredited methodology (IVR, or robo-polling), actually show the federal Libs behind the leaderless NDP.
As my friends John Wright and Darrell Bricker have written, media organizations are getting sloppier in their reporting of these public opinion surveys. And political organizations should therefore remember that many of these polls are worth what you pay for them.
Nothing.
